Dental appliance.



PATENTD vJUNE 2, 1903.1

Np. 730,184. Y

y E. W. WITTER.

DENTAL APPLIAN-GB.

APPLICATION IILED APB.. 1 9, 1v902.

NO MODEL- afronta) #niks CO. Purmxumo., wAsm Patented une 2, 1903.

` UNITED i STATES PATENT OFFICE EZR W. `VVITTER, OF MEDINA, OHIO.

DENTAL APPLlANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part-of Letters Patent No. 730,184, dated June 2, 1903.

Application led April 19, 1902. Serial No.'l03,784. (No mudelJ To a/ZZ whom t may concern/.-

Be it known that I, EZRA W. WITTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Medina, in the county of Medina and State of Ohio,

have invented a new and useful Dental Apv pliance, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a novel dental appliance designed more particularly to facilitate operations upon the teeth of the lower jaw.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device which when applied will clamp one or more teeth and be securely retained thereby in position to depress the tongue and retract the cheek in order to keep the tooth being operated upon perfectly dry and to protect the cheek and tongue from being brought into contact with the instrument.

A further object of the invention is to utilize the device intended primarily for the purpose stated for the further purpose of reflecting the light upon the tooth being ground, illed, or otherwise treated and for the purpose of holding cotton or other absorbent material against the gums to absorb the moisture.

To the accomplishment ofthese objects and others subordinate thereto the invention in its preferred embodiment comprehends a substantially U-shaped frame comprising a pair of relatively adjustable side sections or plates having hinged connection at one end and provided with a regulating or adjusting device for causing the plates to approach and clamp against the opposite sides of the teeth or to recede for the purpose of permitting the re- Vmoval of the device from the mouth. One or both of the plates is provided with an adjustable tooth engaging member or clamp by means of which any particular tooth may be engaged, and the frame is equipped with a detachable handle to facilitate the insertion of the device into the mouth and capable of removal after the frame has been properly positioned. y v

Further objects of the invention and other novel features will appear during the course of the succeeding description of that embodiment of the invention, which for the purposes of this application is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figure l is a general view showing the device applied as in'use. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the appliance with the handle broken away and showing an adjusted position of the member 3 in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. t is a detail sectional view showing the means for regulating the frame. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the member 3, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a modification.

Like numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The device or instrument proper' is in the form of an approximately U-shaped frame 1, composed of side plates or sections 2 and 3, of thin highly-polished metal, their contiguous longitudinal edges being properly shaped to conform generally to thecontour of the jaw on one side-that is to say, the openended slot 4 defined between the plates 2 and 3 has a slight longitudinal curvature corresponding to the arrangement of a series of teeth, against the opposite sides of which the inner edges of the plates 2 and 3 are clamped.

The inner or left-hand plate2 is designed pose of accommodating the device to the' mouths of dierent patients.

'Ihe regu-lation of the frame or the relative adjustment of the plates is effected by means of a small thumb-wheel 7, having a knurled periphery and located within a recess 8 in' the front edge of the bridgeportion 5 of the plate 2. This regulating-wheel has threaded connection with a screw-rod 9, received within a cylindrical pocket 10 in the plate 2, the right.-

hand end of said rod being extended into a y socket 11, formed in the rear end of the plate 3 and terminally pivoted therein by a pintle 12, as shown.

The precise manner of effecting the connection of these parts is not essential, perhaps; but for the sake of a neat finish the rear side of the socket 1l is cut away to permit said socketto fit over the front edge of the bridge portion 5, and thus effect an interlitting relation of the plates at this point.

It will now be seen that since the regulating-Wheel 7 is held against lateral movement its rotation will effect the endwise movement of the screw-rod 9, and as the pivotal connection of said rod with the plate 3 is eccentric to the hinge 6 the plates will be swung toward or away from each other, as may be desired.

I have stated that it is desirable to utilize the device for the purpose of concentrating the light directly upon the tooth or teeth being operated upon, and for this reason, as well as to conduce to the comfort of the patient, the plates are transversely inclined to cause them to assume an angular relationthat is to say, the inner or contiguous edges of the plates are depressed, giving the frame a trough-like shape. This peculiar configuration enables the inner edges of the plates to engage the teeth directly above the edges of the gum and presents the raised bridge portion 5 directly over one or more teeth in advance ot those engaged by the plates.

If desired, the device may also be utilized to hold cotton or other absorbent material in place, as it is obvious that such material could beheld against the gums and within the salivaduct of the cheek by the plate 3, which serves, primarily, as a cheek-retractor.

The device as thus far described comprehends a complete embodiment of my invention in one aspect thereof and is possessed of great utility without further addition. I prefer, however, to provide for the more secure retention of the frame by mounting an adjustable tooth-clamp 13 upon the inner longitudinal edge of the`plate 3. This clamp is in the form of a spring-clip the leaves or plates let and 15 of which engage the opposite faces of the plate 3 to retain the clamp. The clamp proper is disposed at an angle to the plate 3 to assume a horizontal position and is provided with a recess or seat 16, which conforms approximately to the contour of the tooth to be engaged. This clamp may be moved along the cheek-retracting plate 3 to any desired point, where it is frictionally retained in position to engage a tooth, and thus insures the rigid retention of the device as a whole. I also contemplate the employment ot' a detachable handle 17, disposed at an angle to the frame and having a threaded socket 18 for the reception of a threaded shank 19, extending tangentially from the rear end of one of the members or plates, as shown.

In Fig. G I have shown a modified construction which may be desirable in some instances--as, for instance, where the teeth are of such form that the attachment of the device is comparatively difficult. In this case a second tooth-clamp 2O would be mounted on the inner edge of the tongue-depressing plate 2, and the clamps 2O and 13 would be connected by a bridge-wire 21, designed to pass over the teeth and perhaps lie partially between the same.

When it is desired to grind down a tooth of the lower jaw for the purpose ot' shaping the same for a gold cap or when the attachment of the device is desired to facilitate the filling or other treatment of a tooth, the plates are spread apart by the manipulation of the regulating-wheel 7, and the frame carried by the handle 17 is inserted in the mouth and positioned to bring the tooth or teeth to be operated upon within the slot 1L. The wheel 7 is now rotated to clamp the plates firmly against the opposite sides of the teeth1 the tooth-clamp 13 or the clamps 13 and 20, as the case may be, having first been properly adjusted to engage an individual tooth. The handle 17 is now unscrewed from the shank 19, and as the tongue Will be depressed, the cheek retracted, and the light concentrated upon the teeth the operation may be proceeded with without danger of having the instrument accidentally brought into contact with the gums, tongue, or cheek and without danger of moisture reaching the tooth, even should the patient shut his mouth.

It may be noted that the device is particularly useful in connection with grinding teeth for gold caps, because the hand-mirror ordinarily employed and often mutilated by the stone may be dispensed with in consequence of the reflective quality of the polished plates.

It is thought that from the foregoing the construction, mode of manipulation, and many advantages of my invention will be clearly apparent; but While the present embodiment thereof is thought at this time to be preferable I desire to reserve to myself the right to eect such changes, modifications, and variations of the illustrated structure as may be properly comprehended within the scope ot' the protection prayed.

What I claim isl. A dental appliance comprising a pair of tongue depressing and cheek retracting plates arranged to clamp the teeth between their opposed edges, and means for positively adjusting said plates.

2. A dental appliance comprisinga pair of tongue depressing and cheek retracting plates disposed to clamp the teeth between their opposed edges, said plates being reflective and oppositely inclined transversely.

'3. A dental appliance comprising a pair of tongue depressing and cheek retracting plates having hinged connection and designed to clamp the teeth between their opposed edges, said plates being reflective and oppo- IOO TIO

sitely inclined transversely, and means for retaining said plates in .their adjusted positions.

4. A dental appliance comprising a pair of tongue-depressing and cheek-retracting reflective-plates, oppositely inclined transversely and having hinged connectionat one-` end to provide for their relative adjustment to it different teeth, and means for positively adjusting the plates. 5. A dental appliance comprising a substantially U shaped v frame composed of hingedly-connected tongue-depressing and cheek-retracting side plates and an intermediate bridge portion, and a regulating device mounted in said bridge portion to adjust thel plates. j 6. A dental appliance comprising asubstantially U- shaped frame composed o f rela-` tively adjustable tongue depressingand cheek-retracting plates, and a detachable handie extending from the closed end of said frame.

7. A dental appliance comprising tongue- Vdepressingand cheek-retracting plates, and

atooth-,clamp having the form of a springclip frictionally engaging the edge of one of the plates and adjustable `to different positions thereon.

8. A dental appliance comprising a pair of hinged tongue-depressing and cheek-retracting plates arranged to berclamped upon the teeth, a regulating-Wheel, and a screw-rod operated by the Wheel to eect the relative adjustment of the plates.

9. A dental appliance comprising a pair of hinged tongue-depressing and cheek-retracting plates, a screw-rod pivoted to one plate at a point eccentric to thehinge, and a regulating-Wheel retained by theothel plate and having threadedconnection with said rod.

lO. A dental appliance comprising a substantially U shaped frame, composed of hinged side plates oppostely inclinedtransverselyand an `intermediate elevated bridge portion.

11. A dental lappliance comprising tongue- -depressingand-cheek-retracting plate`s, and

a tooth-clamp carried by oneof'said plates.

.12. A dental appliance comprisingtongue-` depressing and cheek-retracting plates, and atooth-clamp adjustable upon one otsaid f plates.

1 3. A dental appliance comprising tonguedepressing and cheek-retracting plates having relative adjustment, and akv tooth-clamp adjustable along one yof said, plates. i -v 14. A dental appliance comprising reective tongue-depressing and cheek-retracting plates having hinged connection and oppositely inclined transversely, a regulating ldevice for adjusting the plates relativelyfand a tooth-clamp adjustable along one of said plates. f n.

l5. A dental appliance comprising a pair of hinged plates arranged to engage. the teeth, ashank extending from one ,of ysaid plates, and a handle detachably fitted to saidshank.

16. A dental appliance comprising tonguedepressing and cheek-retractng reflective plates having hinged connection and oppositely inclined transversely,l an elevated,

l AEZRA W. WITTE t.

Witnesses: A 'Y JOHN H. SIGeERs, GEORGE TATE. 

